Tohono O'odham Leaders Hope to Get Youth to Vote Early

Many young Tohono O’odham won’t be able to vote in the coming election unless they do it early, tribal leaders have said, and the nation has organized a “Get Out the Vote” effort.

Tribal voting officials estimate that up to three-quarters of young people between the ages of 18 and 25 living on the nation will not be able to vote on Nov. 8 because they have only tribal identification cards with no addresses.

Young voters there will also need another form of ID with a printed address, said Gabby Cezares Kelly from Tohono O’odham Community College, but many young Tohono O’odham don’t have permanent addresses and often live with friends or relatives.

One solution is to vote early, as no ID is required.

“They actually don’t require you to bring in a photo ID at all. They actually verify your identity by your signature,” she said.

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